Thursday, April 10, 2014

that crazy Boo

I have been working very hard on getting Beach to memorize some of her multiplication facts instead of working them out each time. I felt like it had to happen before we could move any further in 5th grade math. She was driving me nuts by holding conversations with herself containing way too many numbers and figures ending in the correct answers; how they were right I have no idea!?Overall I would much rather her know how to get an answer than rely on memory but at some point you must have some fast working info to move along with. I put our math text on hold and started working on the times tables again. Skip counting, making up stories, using art, games, cards, everything I had. It seemed like we had gained some ground so I put it to the test. Turns out my battle was more uphill than I could have imagined. Oh, she had memorized her math facts alright but with mixed results.Today in math working on division (Hooked on Division, I absolutely love this program!!! Found it second hand for $2) for each problem she solved using a memories fact she would demand to know "But how did I know that?!" She even made me prove to her she was right. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen! It was as if she was fighting with her own brain. "Where are these answers coming from!" It makes her so uncomfortable.

And again this is the point where I say "You are very welcome" to the countless number of elementary teachers spared the aggravation of teaching my little funny Boo :)

1 comment:

I totally understand your reasoning for home schooling - as you well know, if I lived in pretty much any other country in the world it would be the choice I would make for my girls too.

But I bet (some) teachers would just love Boo. I think it is often the 'quirky' kids that make their job the most interesting and rewarding.

The way they teach math here is really interesting too. They rely far less on rote learning and far more on being able to work things out. I have never seen this particular method before, but since Sofie started with it, my own maths has improved x 100 :-)

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About Me

I am the mom of 4 kids. That is a lot of kids! Homeschooling the youngest, Beach, our little ninja. She is a competitive gymnast with tons of personality & a unique perspective on life. She makes her own way through the world with a visual disability. We live, farm, & school on a small urban farmstead west of the beautiful city of SLC.